Turn Emotional Eating Into Mindful Eating…

Emotional eating is a huge culprit when it comes to obesity, and dieting often doesn’t work.

Many of us are guilty of it, it’s easy to reach for the family size chocolate bar when you’re having a bad day. I mean, who doesn’t get a temporary buzz from yummy, creamy, sweet chocolate?

In the long run though, it is guaranteed to make you feel ten times worse, which is why it is time to stop emotional eating in its tracks and try out mindful eating.

Unlike traditional diets, mindful eating is all about altering your mindset around food and listening to your body. It is about being mindful about what you’re putting in your mouth and only eating when you are truly hungry.

Tackling Emotional Eating

The first step in tackling emotional eating, according to Dr Ben Kelly, Head of Preventative Medicine at Nuffield Health, is to recognise when and why you do it. For example, take note of the next time you reach for an unhealthy snack, are you actually hungry or are you just sad or bored?

Dr Kelly suggests keeping a food diary in order to fully recognise what you eat in a day, allowing you to understand where you may be going wrong. If you do see a clear correlation between when you snack on unhealthy foods and when you are feeling particularly sad, stressed or bored, then you may be an emotional eater.

Once you have identified whether or not you do eat emotionally, it is important to get your head around what causes you to feel negatively and in turn, reach for the junk food.

Write a food diary to identify why, when and what you eat.

For some people, it may be in the evenings when you’re curled up in front of the TV alone feeling a bit lonely and very bored, or for others it may be when you have a bad day at work.

Whatever the cause is though, once you identify it, the power is in your hands to change things.

If it is boredom that causes you to snack, then find a way to ease this boredom. For example, you could start a new hobby, such as knitting or mindfulness colouring in.

Or, if it is loneliness that causes you to eat junk, you could organise a regular meet-up with a friend or join a club. And, if it is a bad day that gets you seeking comfort food, then you should try reaching out to a loved one rather than reaching out for the chocolate.

A new hobby or seeing a friend may help with emotional eating.

Whilst these may seem like small, simple changes, it is the smallest steps that can lead to the biggest changes.

Mindful Eating

Taking the time to eat mindfully is something that has been around for centuries, but more than ever it is something we, as 21st century people, could learn from.

Most of us will typically multitask whilst we are eating, whether you eat and drive, eat and watch TV or eat and work, we are all guilty of it. Mindful eating looks to change this, so that we are able to be in the moment and be aware of what we are putting into our mouths.

When you multitask whilst eating, you aren’t given the chance to actually enjoy food and realise when we are satisfied. This can lead to digestive problems and weight gain.

This ancient practice requires you to take the time to eat at a table, pay attention to what you are eating and be mindful of eating foods that will nourish your body. Really, it is all about taking care of yourself.

Below are some top tips from Nuffield’s nutritional therapist Tracey Strudwick:

Eat a table, if possible!

Avoid distractions (basically, pause Netflix!)

Eat s l o w l y – take time to actually enjoy what you’re eating.

Try putting your fork down in between mouthfuls.

Consider why you are eating – see above!

Try eating at a table and switching off.

Eating in this way is the best way to form a positive relationship with food and make better food-related choices, according to Ms Strudwick.

If you feel that your eating habits are uncontrollable, and/or effect your mental health negatively, then seek help from a doctor or click here.